This blog contains personal reflections on Sahaja Life by practitioners of the Sahaja technique. Sahaja is the path of enlightened knowledge, as opposed to other forms of yoga and meditation, which profess singular paths like devotion-only (bhakti path). Growth in Sahja happens by experiential knowldge acquisition.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

A yogini from Yonkers had the opportunity to give realizationto 25 graders, at her son's school in Yonkers. Here is her recollection:

I briefly talked about the mothering quality of mother earth and how it nourishes us and that we also have mother earth inside of us called mother kundalini and we can feel it in the form of cool breeze. These children became very attentive. They simply placed their hands on their hearts and closed their eyes. You could imagine a class room in silence. I asked them to say quietly, "Mother kundalini, please come in my heart”.

A few minutes, as they opened their eyes, they placed their hands over their heads and you could hear them, "wow, so cool!” They all felt the cool breeze and commented that they felt "peaceful", "calm" and "calmer" inside. So was Nishad's teacher who had previously invited me to do the meditation with her class. Then, at the end of the session, they asked many interested questions about Who is "Shri Mataji”, "Could I do it at home?" "What does the colors mean on the hands and feet?" and "what are the colorful flowers (chakra) for?". The teacher even suggested that I do it for the other classes also because of the beautiful results. Yesterday, I met with the school's principal who apparently knows about kundalini and are now planning a date to give realizationto the entire staff.

I am just beginning to recognize the face in the mirror, though I have seen her endless times. Know Thyself. It is in the Bible, in the Koran, in all the religious scriptures of the world. Why this should be at the heart of spiritual ascent is a mystery. As we move into the global awareness of the twenty-first century, where multi-culturalism is an everyday occurrence, and Anglo-European rationality meets eastern mysticism, what happens to this journey of self-knowledge?

The subtle realm is no longer the exclusive domain of eastern philosophy. Physicists all over the world are now doing research into unseen dimensions, illusive quarks and vibrating strings of energy. Yoga classes are as American as apple pie. My own personal story of cultural and self-integration began twenty years ago, when, as fate would have it, I found myself in the Himalayas, a Jewish girl a long way from home, learning to meditate.

I was on assignment for the Jaipuri Times of India. My husband, one-year-old daughter and I were staying on the family estate of an Indian lawyer in the foothills of the Himalayas. I find India to be a deep and aesthetically beautiful culture, albeit with social problems we are lucky enough not to have.

What it lacks in material comfort is made up for in the generosity of the people, and the general feeling of glee inspired by walking down a street in the company of two camels, three cows, an elephant and a wall mural that is probably a thousand years old. Once you start gaining altitude, the terraced slopes are dotted with wild goats and stone huts, and ringed with dense jungle. The mountains tower up all around, surreal; misty-peaked and sharply etched against the sky. Our friend had just met an extraordinary woman, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

(Mahatma Gandhi had sought her advice as a child; now, as the founder of Sahaja Yoga meditation, she has become Spiritual Mother to millions.) In 1981, Sahaja Yoga was slowly growing in India, attracting the attention of restless westerners like us, searching for a spiritual place to call home.

I took to it right away. One unusual aspect that struck me was that Sahaja Yoga starts with the awakening of the spiritual energy Kundalini and self-realization, instead of ending with that. Traditionally, first one's chakras are completely cleansed, which takes ages, and then the Kundalini rises. Maybe. Old-style gurus used to pass on this experience to one or two disciples at most, after years of arduous lessons and privation. Offering this experience right away is pretty outrageous; it implies a bunch of normal people walking around in an awakened state, not just saints living in caves who have practiced severe austerities for lifetimes. The premise is that once you have the light inside yourself, you can see your own problems clearly, and are then better able to work them out. You get in touch with yourself. More than that, the process is expedited, so what used to take people five or ten years to figure out, can be seen much more quickly through meditation and introspection. After learning about Shri Mataji's meditation, I was lucky enough to go to her house in Delhi.

I was standing in the doorway, holding my infant daughter in my arms. Putting her hand lightly on my shoulder, Shri Mataji's eyes sparkled as she said, "Kundalini has risen. They've both got it." It was a fabulousfeeling, like a cool breeze blowing gently over the top of my head.

The basics of Sahaja Yoga are simple. There is Kundalini, a spiritual energy. There is the subtle system of energy, chakras (a Sanskrit word meaning "spinning wheel") and the three channels of the autonomous nervous system. It's not hard to understand. The truth of the matter is that all of our quirks and problems and all of physical reality can be addressed at the level of energy.Reality is what it is; energy once created is never destroyed…so once you have an understanding of how you are put together in this way, you can really get down to the business of self-knowledge. For example, let's say you suffer from chronic guilt syndrome. Jewish? Catholic? Whatever. That particular problem involves the chakra located on the left side of the neck. By working on that spot, you can really alleviate the problem. Moreover, you start having insights into the inner workings of the situation, and as things start to become clear, you become more and more the master of the situation. Most importantly, you start to transform yourselffrom the inside out. You can begin right now. Close your eyes, and imagine a coiled up twist of silken energy threads at the base of your spine. (The Greeks called this the sacrum, the sacred bone: they knew what they were talking about.) Now ask yourself, do you want this energy to waken? Ask yourself the question, "Am I the pure Spirit?" Now hold your hand over your head. Do you feel a cool breeze coming out at the top? This is the Kundalini, newly risen. Now, you've got it.

After my meeting with Shri Mataji in India, I had another serendipitous moment. I was in Jaipur, riding in a horse-drawn wagon with my daughter on my lap. On the sidewalk market, among the red and purple turbans, the richly hued saris, the shining brass plates hanging mirror-like behind pyramids of oranges and mangoes, there appeared a young Muslim woman covered from head to toe in swaths of cloth. A black cotton scarf covered her mouth. Only her eyes were revealed to the world. These eyes caught mine, and my breath as well. We were from completely and utterly different worlds. Her life was unfathomable to me, and mine to her. Yet here we were, on the same side of the world, the same street, the same square hundred feet of red Indian earth between us. Somehow for a fraction of an instant, we made a connection. Everything, the barefoot children laughing behind the long silken braids of their mothers, the cows and camels sauntering insolently among the chaos of India, the fragranceof earth and incense and spice, everything blurred into formless color, leaving the two of us alone in sharp relief. I could barely breathe. Then she did the outrageously unexpected, an act ofcourage: she undid her scarf so that I could look directly into her face.

Her face was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, by any standard of beauty. What could I do? Wave, or yell out? I could only stare back at her, and it seemed as though she looked triumphant. I felt her femininity, her strength. Her look said, "I may be bound in cloth and fierce tradition. But inside, I am intelligent and present. I want you to see, that, to see me." In one blinding moment our cultures collided, and then it was over. The horses clopped on, we turned a corner, and she was gone. I ponder that moment sometimes. In one way its meaning has remained a mystery, like an archetype, as pure and necessary as a prime number, too deep to plumb. It is evocative, however. As we two made a connection, so a bridge needs to be built, and then crossed, between borders and boundaries, linking us all together. The spiritual path finally is not about eastern mystical paradigms meeting western rational thought. It is about self meeting Self, across all cultural values and interpretations. In today's world, we must bind our hearts to a new pattern, an integration of east and west, giving birth to a modern world free from fear. It will take intelligence, and great courage, to gain possession of our collective ascent. Yes, it is time to drop the veils that blind us to our essential self, that place where we are one beyond individuality, beyond cultural definition. Change is possible. The intelligent beauty of that young woman's face comes back to me clearly now. Her challenge to me is one I put to the mirror, to the face I am coming to recognize, to my daughter grown so quick and fine, to get to work, connect to life, and hurry up! For time waits for no man, or woman, no matter what color earth lies under their feet.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

"I wanted to share my vision on how to solve/ease the problem of unemployment.Many people in US nowdays are required to work overtime and cannot take vacation days which they have. This means that the companies don't want to create new workplaces and hire more people. This also violates human rights. Previously we had 8 hour day and 40 hour week, no more. However in the last 9-10 years I noticed a change that companies require people to work overtime. Many people work 50-80 hours week, especially in IT. Also people cannot take vacation days that are accumulated as employer doesn't give leave. People cannot defend their right of working just 40 hours. They fear to lose the workplace. As a result of that some people work more hours and some people don't have employment at all because complanies don't create new work places. Also this creates disbalance in the society,people cannot do their family duties, children are neglected without enough of parents attention.So I suggest to change working policies - the government needs to control how many hours people work and they need to take their vacation days.The companies need to create new workplaces. The people working 80 hours - means 2 workplaces working 40 hours instead of one.Also in Europe vacation time is 45 days/year and there is nothing wrong with that. Balance between work and family time is good for everyone in the society and more work places will be created, more people will be employed. For ladies - many would like to work part time - 20 hours or so.We need this time for families and children. But employers are not creating part time work opportunities. For people with BS and MS very hard to find part time jobs in their field. So always we, ladies, have to either sacrifice a career or family commitments. It would be nice if government enforces companies to hold part-time job opportunities for every field of work.This will mean that more people will be employed and balance of family life will be maintained. The future generation will thank the government for that. And rate of unemployment will reduce dramatically."

The Crown Prince wrote this beautiful letter to the people of America:

"I am writing to congratulate Senator Barack Obama for his histoiric election as the 44th President of the United States. He is a dynamic and unifying leader who will reach across geographic and political divides and forge new partnership to meet the challenges of the 21st century.I also want to congratulate the people of the USA - one of the world's oldest democracies - for participating in this election in unprecedented numbers, for making their voices heard and for truly "being the change they want to see in the world".History will record this election as having enormous long-term positive consequences for America's most valuable export: democracy.The 2008 Election will hold a placealongside the election of 1796 when George Washington's decision not to run for a third term assured American democracy; the election of 1828 when Andrew Jackson's victory led to greater public participation in the country's democratic process; Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 leading to the emancipation of African-americans; and the 1960's election of John F. Kennedy, which cast a backlight on America's religious tolerance. Each and everyone of these elcetions sent a message to the world.The 2008 election of Barack Obama makes clear that America embraces diversity as its greatest strength and that its people are committed to elcting the best person capable of leading the country and the world forward and upward by, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, appealing "to the better angels of our nature."In light of its historical importance, the 2008 election results are a mandate for change - notjust for the United States but for our entire global community.For this very reason, the election was followed closely around the world - from London to Lima, from Manila to Mexico City, from Nairobi to New Delhi, from Ryadh to Ras al Khaimah, my homeland. Ras Al Khaimah, a member of the UAE, strategicallylocated along the Straits of Hormuz, a small emirate with big plans for the future. We have long supported the UAE's effort to promote a strong relationship with the United States in the spirit of peace and prosperity to the benefit of all.In the coming weeks, I will be proposing to the people of Ras Al Khaimah A Pledge For Progress that calls for 1) Building an economy that serves the people and not just the powerful, 2) Pursuing clean and renewable energy indepenence, 3) Preserving our soverignty as a proud member of the UAE, 4) Increasing educational opportunities for the next generations, 5) Promotong the rule of law, including respect for intellectual property and 6) Encouraging greater participation in government. I look forward to working with President-elect Obama, just as I worked with President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush, to the mutual benefit of the people of the USA and Ras Al Khaimah."

Free Meditation Classes featuring Sahaja method of meditation are now being offered at the Windsor, ON College Ave. Community Center. Citizens of Windsor who attended the meetings have expressed great satisfaction at the content of the classes and enjoyed the collective learning, which features stress management, learning about the subtle being (chakras & channels) and balancing techniques.

There is a subtle power which is described as the all-pervading Power of God’s love, as Paramachaitanya, as Udrang, as, so many other words have been used for this power, which does all the living work. Like we see the flowers so beautiful as they are but we take them for granted. We don’t see how they have come from a little seed, how they are blossoming in these different colors. All this living work we take for granted. We have also taken our evolution for granted and everything that autonomous nervous system does we have taken for granted, it’s a good thing in a way because it’s too much of a worry and botheration if you start thinking why of everything. But there is a power, which does all these things.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Dave, a Sahaja Yoga practitioner shares views on forgiveness and its aspects in this beautiful message:

In my experience, there is always a good reason why people do (bad) things.If someone hurts you deliberately, try looking for why they did it. If you dig deep enough, you'll find there is always a good reason. It is the necessary action for them. If you were in their exact place (including their spiritual development), you would do the same thing.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't protect yourself. Or that it isOK for them to hurt you. They will incur their own Karma, which they will have to work off in full. You can feel free to prosecute them legally, or other naturally occurring consequences for their actions. But this must be done, not at all out of revenge, but because this is a nature consequence.

Occasionally, someone wronged me strongly. I took my best judgement ofappropiate action. But I recognized that the anger I felt inside was MY problem. It took time for me to let go of this anger (in one case, two years -- now I have a better method with bandhans), but I did not put the anger on them. Actually, I felt sorry for them, that they didsuch a foolish action.

Finally, it may be that what seems hurtful to you may end up being for your benifit (if only learning to let go of the anger). I believe we are not qualified to judge others, or ourself. "Let he who is without sin...". But also, we are just not in a position to determine what is bad, simply because we don't like it.

Chronic fainting and me, went hand in hand. Sight or mention of blood would mysteriously induce blackouts which was a lost frontier. However, the unthinkable happened today as I went in for a blood test, anticipating the mandatory dizzy spell.

The last time it happened was about seven years ago, when I went in for a mandatory health check with my friend IP who introduced me to Sahaja Meditation. At the time we were just room-mates and landed jobs at the same company after graduation. After my test, I passed out in the waiting area. IP was back from his blood exam as I was coming around and put attention on my chakras and felt weakness and blockage in the heart chakra quite strongly.

So today, walking into the pathological clinic, the question was - how far has the heart healed? Without thinking much, I focussed on the experience: ready or not here I come.

I disclosed to the medical practitioner my fantastic ability to slide off, laid down and waited for the anxiety to set in. It triggers with the 'hosital smells' and increases to the point where the ears are ringing and I slip into blissful black. So I waited, and I waited.

Nothing happened, the heart was beating steady. The mind was still functioning. Apparently the heart chakra had healed a long time ago. Enough water had flowed under the bridge and enough love of the divine had marinated the heart chakra over the years. Many devotional divine moments, years of affirmations over the heart in meditation and brought about a transformation which was evident in the small victory today. Thank you Sahaja Yoga.

Monday, November 10, 2008

There is no better way to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, than meditating itself. Shri Mataji has encouraged practitioners of Sahaja Yoga to consider lighting the light within and celebrate the spirit of the festival which marks the victory of good over evil. I personally love Diwali in Sahaja yoga because no longer we are mindlessly blowing up crackers and creating noise & air pollution. Rather growing deep and let our lights spread into the world.

In the last two blog posts we got introduced to the concept of Sahaja and the inner being, our sublte system. Here we will follow a short guided meditation by founder of Sahaja Yoga, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

Do you feel the need to clear out, but just dont know if getting a footsoak is too challenging? Two brave women in Canada risk everything to perform this amazing miracle of getting a little tub and enjoying a refreshing footsoak.

(What If) The Kingdom of HeavenMight have come and goneWhat if you didn't see it come,blinded by the siren song.

Ages and centuries,It took to finally comeit wasn't a moment or a flashbut it stuck around quite long

When angels from heavenmade earth their second homeWhen the merciful GodSent His power all alone

(What If) The Kingdom of HeavanMight have come and goneWhat if you didn't see it come,blinded by the siren song.

There was distinct laughter,of children and grown-ups,There was a new smile, everlastingLike a sun beyond the dust

There was much rejoicement,And celebration of TruthThere was no written word,There was no silly book

(What If) The Kingdom of HeavenMight have come and goneWhat if you didn't see it come,blinded by the siren song.

There was an open door, And everyone came inTasted the bread, giving up on their sinsThe door remained open, free to come and goBut now there's a shining light, beyond the closing door

Be careful of the company, you may choose to keepBe careful of the leading voice, that tends to weepBe aware of the boat, your feet are standing inDon't drift too far, as you wanna be on the inside, yes within

(What If) The Kingdom of HeavenMight have come and goneWhat if you didn't see it come,blinded by the siren song.

Now the play is almost over, the curtain callers riseThe doors of the theaters will close at some time tonightIn your happiness you want to see, that you don't exitThat lie as trap for fools and tools, on the left and right

Before getting to inner peace and balance, it is important to know the inner being. This animation introduces you to the system of chakras and channels within us. To know more about chakras and channels you can read on Sahaja Yoga Intro Book website.

How does your mind react to weather and changes in weather? I was 21, and in my infancy of self-realization. I had just come across a wonderful friend, Rupesh, who was practicing Sahaja Yoga for a few years and carried a genuine calm demeanor that would disarm the most aggressive people.

His sage advice that one must not indulge in cursing the weather went deep into the heart and built reverance for nature like never before. Self-realization had once again transformed the inner being in a Sahaja (spontaneous) manner. The natural urge to curse extreme weather has dissolved into reverance for the elements of nature: sun, wind and yes, even Michigan snow.

Yesterday there was snow in mid-Michigan, and I was picking up two friends from MSU - one Indian and one from Togo, Africa. They saw snow for the first time and were mesmerised. I am sure, being yogis, they will cherish snow for its beauty rather than hardship for a long time to come.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Welcome to the Learn Sahaja Yoga blog! This is the place to get some info on Sahaja Yoga form of meditation through videos, text and informative links to other educational websites. To start off, lets answer the question: What is Sahaja? Amongst other things, Sahaja means simple, spontaneous and easy. It is a way of doing things the smooth and easy way. Sahaja Yoga means getting union or awakening in a spontaneous way. The following video demonstrates the method aptly:

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Stumbled across a blog of Ana Paiva, showcasing an upcoming dance presentation in Brasilia. Check it out, and turn on your portuguese-to-english translator. Ana is a talented kuchipudi dancer trained in India at the PK Salve Academy of Arts, where many practioners of Sahaja Yoga go to learn music and dance, with a spiritual focus. Meditation and ascent play a far greater role in the development of students as compared to other schools of indian performing arts.

We are at a fair and I just worked on a person who has tried meditation but would always fall asleep.

She was describing a problem which I experienced in my first months of sahaja yoga meditation.

The problem comes from the right side being overworked. Right side, or pingala nadi, is the sun channel. It gets exhausted when we are overworked and under rested.

When the kindalini rises and finds over stressed chakras, she does not force herself. But out of concern for the meditating subject, she induces action of the left side to balance out the right. Sleep is a blessing of the left side, and a cure for many right side issues like hypertension.

At the end, our dear subject, flora, revealed she indeed suffer from high blood pressure. This confirmed the relationship between meditation, hypertension and sleeping off.

It took me about four months before I was able to meditate without dozing off... But that was seven years ago and well into the past.

I am reading Tolstoy's The Gospels in Brief. The description of the kingdom of God is so amazingly true. Especially the part where the filtering of chosen ones is described by two parables: the farmer and the fisherman. And also the clear warning by Jesus that the parables might eventually be twisted by knaves for selfish purposes.

This will be held as part of the twice-yearly Charities Day held in Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, just down from Chatswood station.

USA (Michigan)

Catch us in the bodyworker area of the Phenomenews BMS festival!

The Body Mind Spirit Festival Fall 2008: November 8!

MACOMB COMMUNITY COLLEGE - SOUTH CAMPUSSPORTS & EXPO CENTER

Directions: TAKE I-75 FROM EITHER NORTH OR SOUTH TO I-696 EAST TO THE HOOVER/SCHOENHERR EXIT (24)GOING UP THE THE RAMP TO THE LIGHT AT HOOVER.TAKE A LEFT TURN ON HOOVER GOING NORTH TO 12 MILE ROADTURN RIGHT ON 12 MILE GOING EAST TWO MILES TO HAYESAND FOLLOW THE YELLOW SIGNS THAT WILL SAYBODY MIND SPIRIT FESTIVAL.

Two beautiful posts coming from Australia offering a prayer and answering the eternal question of why the world was created?

The prayer is beutiful as it builds surrender and gives strength in the process. Such a blessing of Sahaja. The reason for creation explores the need for reflection of beauty. Without reflection of God's own glory in creation, God would not be able to enjoy that reflection.

“Why has God created this beautiful universe?” has been a question asked for thousands of years. The reason is very simple to understand. This beauty that is created cannot see itself. In the same way, God who is the source of beauty, cannot see His own beauty. Like a pearl cannot enter into itself to see its beauty, like the sky cannot understand its own beauty, the stars cannot see their own beauty, the sun cannot behold its brilliance. In the same way, God Almighty cannot behold His own being. He needs a mirror. And that’s how He has created this beautiful universe as His mirror. MORE

“Forgive me for what I’ve done, and forgive those who have done harm to me.” More

The following informative page answers questions on how the brain responds to Sahaja meditation. It's calming effect can be seen from the brain activation patters observed via EEG. Here is an extract. Go here for the full article.

Electrophysiological studies (EEG) measure the electrical activity from groups of neurons on the surface of the scalp. EEG studies comparing the brain activation of long-term Sahaja Yoga practitioners (11) to short-term Sahaja Yoga meditators (16) found specific brain activation patterns corresponding to the subjective feelings of thoughtless awareness and happiness experienced by the Meditators (Aftanas and Golocheikine, 2001, 2002, 2000). In their EEG measures, the long-term meditators showed increased power in low band frequency EEG activity of theta and alpha, which was particularly pronounced over the left frontal regions.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

from the BBC, a report on meditation and its benefits. To locate a meditation meeting near you, visit (for USA) www.sahajayoga.org ; To learn about meditation related topics with live online workshops, visit www.freemeditation.tv

Monday, November 3, 2008

Traveling for Sahaja is a great equilizer. It exposes you to new energies. Sometimes the new energies can be strong awakenings brought about by concepts hitherto unknown. New ways of spreading the love, new ways of strengthening collectivity, new ways of connecting and new ways of looking at the self.

And it works both ways. When you travel out and when others travel to you and bring an invisible bag of goodies, which are ideas.

This past weekend, two dynamic yogis from Toronto landed in Michigan. In the tradition of Sahaja hobbithood, we did what we usually do. Spread love, poster around, eat, sing, make merry and share stories. We sown seeds in each other's hearts and lands. We'll try to nourish these seeds by visiting each other more often and see the seeds sprout in the light of truth and rain of Mother's love.